Getty/George Doyle/Thinkstock(BEIJING, China) -- China is grappling with a wave of toxic pollution that has engulfed the country.

In Beijing, the US Embassy monitoring index recorded a level of 755 or “beyond index.” According to the World Health Organization, anything over 300 triggers an emergency warning.

An acrid smoke and thick smog filled Beijing…at times visibility was down to a few hundred feet. It was just one of dozens of cities to be hit this weekend.

China’s rapid growth, an explosion in car ownership and poor environmental standards are blamed for the bad air. The government has long downplayed the issue but this weekend even state TV warned residents across the country to stay inside.